Dually fenders

[retirednak]

I may be buying a new truck and have kicked around the idea of converting my dually to a single rear. On the '03,is the dually fender an add on? Can I remove the fender and have a regular bed? I have a small gap where the fenders meet the bed and appears to be an add on. It would be nice to unbolt,rather then buying a new used bed. If I did convert,can I expect a fuel mileage increase? I've always gotten reasonably crappy mileage and would love an increase.

 

[WMoroni]

You'll also have to change the rear axle. I learned this when I converted a 2500 to a dually. The dually axle housing is shorter but the wheel to wheel width is wider than the single wheel ( or at list I thing I remembered that right). I only lost about 1 mpg going to a dually.

 

[retirednak]

I thought that I read some place here that I could go with special built wheels with special off sets and what not's. I also planned on going with 19. 5 wheels and tires. I'll have to see if I can find the links about the special built rims.

 

[HBarlow]

Sure, you can unbolt and remove the dually fender extensions from your bed but you'll leave a series of unsightly bolt holes and a hole for the light harness in the bedsides.

Converting to a single rear wheel will require axle swap as well.

If you really want to do this (I think it's a bad idea) advertise for another similar Dodge owner who has a SRW truck and wants to convert it to a dually then the two of you can exchange all the parts that are different truck to truck.

You'll also have to swap all six Budd wheels for the wheels srw trucks use and I'm not sure about the width of the front end, I think it is different on a dually than on a srw truck.

Your fuel economy gain will be so slight as to be not worth the effort IMO.

 

[Grizzly]

Maybe a far less headache to sell the 03 and buy a newer SRW.

 

[retirednak]

I will be buying a new truck,I don't need two duallys. I can't sell this truck because nobody is buying diesel powered anything due to our high cost of fuel. I'm looking for a winter project and converting to SRW would be just the ticket.

 

[run2trouble]

I have a 07 drw that I put srw wheels on and the brakes are not protected by the wheels in the rear. So I have to be carefull of that. I used my old Vision 19. 5 wheels, and they do stick out quite a bit. They have zero offset. I had added fender flares, but eventually went to a srw flat bed, burt had to leave the fender flares on the front. I also removed the hub ext. on the front axle.

 

[HBarlow]

Conversion of a srw to drw or drw to srw is not as simple as adding or removing fender extensions. I think if anyone adds up the cost of the parts and labor it is not inexpensive either.

 

[JohnBoy5]

the front end will have to be changed also. if you dont it will look pretty goofy. i looked at changing my srw to a drw and then starting picking everything apart that would have to be changed and it was cheaper to sell the truck and buy a new. but then i started thinking again if i get a drw thats the end of my auto bell carwash program that i am on as a drw will not fit in the carwash. so i opted to keep my truck and the srw that i have i love. i tow thinks once and a blue moon that a drw would be nice but not worth the cost to me.



i say if you really want a srw bad enough to consider doing the swap i would reconsider and keep the truck and drive it or figure out a way to sell it. shoot i would like to have it but its a bit far away from me...

 

[retirednak]

I had my truck listed for more then a month with the local papers,craigslist and alaskaslist.com. The only ones driving dually's are contractors or farmers. Diesel prices are hovering between $3. 51-$3. 58 per gal. The highest I saw lately was $3. 91,so with prices so high,diesel pickups can't be given away. I was at one time $4K under Kelly Blue book and got one call.



I'm still kicking the idea around and will continue my research.

 

[Jack in Alaska]

duallySRW

Retirednak... ... .



I solved the high diesel prices for my dually by driving it to Arizona for the winter, again.

 

[retirednak]

We've been thinking about moving out of here for good. But... ..... 34 yrs in this great state is hard to drive away from. Plus the economy sucks in the lower 48 as far as finding a decent paying job for my Mrs. My wife has a few more yrs before she can retire. As for me,I can collect my pension in any state. It just worries me making a big move.

 

[JohnBoy5]

just hang on to the truck, it wont go bad. i know you said you do not need 2 drw trucks but better then loosing your but or costing yourself an arm and a leg maybe more to change it over...

 

[Grizzly]

I will be buying a new truck,I don't need two duallys. I can't sell this truck because nobody is buying diesel powered anything due to our high cost of fuel. I'm looking for a winter project and converting to SRW would be just the ticket. [/QUOTE]







Maybe it's time to find another winter project, like woodworking.



george